Richard H. LOYN
Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of
Natural Resources & Environment, PO Box 137 Heidelberg VIC 3084
Australia
Abstract Much information has been gathered on birds of
eucalypt forests and woodlands in south-eastern Australia. This was
examined to assess some of the mechanisms of ecological segregation
that may apply. A database was constructed of 209 species pairs (148
species from 48 genera). Most patterns resemble those reported
overseas, with habitat and range featuring as major segregating
mechanisms. Use of different strata and substrates was the dominant
primary mechanism allowing use of identical space by congeners.
Mechanisms such as specific food preferences, migration and choice of
nest sites contributed but rarely as primary factors. One species
pair appears to show no ecological segregation, despite co-existence
in varying proportions over a large geographical range.
Indiscriminate interspecific aggression is used by some species to
maintain high levels of resources for themselves, in environments
that can sustain such resources throughout the year. Communal
breeding is a feature of those species. Implications for conservation
are discussed.
Download
this article.
Key words Birds, Co-existence, Ecological segregation,
Eucalypts, Forests, Habitat
Harry F. RECHER1, William E. DAVIS,
Jr.2 and Mike C. CALVER3
1 Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Natural
Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, W.A. 6027, Australia
2 College of General Studies, Boston University, Boston,
MA 02215, USA
3 Biological Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, W.A.
6150, Australia
Abstract In this paper, we compare the foraging ecology of five
Australian robins(Petroica multicolor, P. goodenovi, Eopsaltria
griseogularis, Microeca fascinans, and Melanodryas cucullata) in
woodlands of Western Australia. Australian robins are insectivorous
and obtain the greatest proportion of their prey by pouncing from a
perch to the ground. Data were collected at three different sites in
eucalypt (Eucalyptus)woodland and two sites in acacia (Acacia)
woodland. The species differed in habitat, structure of the ground
substrates where prey were taken, proportion of foraging manoeuvres
used, height of foraging perches and prey-attack distances, though
there were broad overlaps in all foraging dimensions. Within a site,
species were more similar to each other in their foraging behaviour
and selection of foraging substrates than they were to conspecific
individuals occurring elsewhere. This indicates that potential
foraging behaviours were very broad, and their expression is
determined by the characteristics of the habitat and available prey.
At all sites, robins took prey from ground substrates characterised
by a mosaic of bare soil, low ground vegetation, and litter. The
smallest species, P. goodenovi, used lower perches than the other
robins and probably searched for small prey which it located at short
distances. P. goodenovi had the widest distribution and was the most
abundant of the species studied. The implications of these findings
for the conservation of ground-foraging birds in Australia are
discussed.
Download
this article.
Key words Foraging ecology, Ground-pouncing birds,
Petroicidae, Threatened species conservation, Woodlands
Mikko MÖNKKÖNEN and Jukka T.
FORSMAN
Department of Biology, University of Oulu, POB 3000, 90014 Oulu,
Finland
Abstract In this paper we review the evidence for a habitat selection
process where colonizing individuals use other species presence as
cues to profitable breeding sites. Our experimental studies in
Fennoscandia and North America have shown that density and species
richness of migrant birds breeding in the forests respond positively
to experimentally augmented titmice densities. We used analytical
modeling to analyze ecological conditions, which may favor a habitat
selection process where later arriving individuals (colonists) use
the presence of earlier established species (residents)as a cue to
profitable breeding sites. We compared the fitness of two colonist
strategies: colonists could either directly sample the relative
quality of the patches (termed samplers) or, alternatively, they
could also use residents as a cue of patch quality(cue-users). Model
results suggested that cue-using strategy is more beneficial in most
ecological conditions and that this may result in heterospecific
attraction. Further field experiments showed that migrant individuals
selected nest sites at close vicinity of nesting titmice, and bred
earlier and reproduced better. We conclude that heterospecific
attraction may be a common and widespread process among forest birds
particularly in seasonal environments.
Download
this article.
Key words Experimental studies, Habitat selection, Migrant vs.
resident birds, Reproductive output, Species richness
Shin-Ichi SEKI and Tamotsu SATO
Kyushu Research Center, Forestry and Forest Research Institute,
4-11-16 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-0862, Japan
Abstract A typhoon, that struck Kyushu, the southernmost of
the four main islands of Japan, in September 1999, causing extensive
wind damage to forests, was found to have affected the flocking and
foraging behavior of Varied Parus varius and Great Tits P.
major. After the typhoon had passed, the tits tended to
participate in mixedspecies flocks and preferred to forage in the
lower parts, rather than in the upper parts, of the trees. Also the
proportion of plant products in the diet of the Varied Tit was
reduced. The population and average flock size of the tits, however,
remained stable even after the typhoon. The abundance of plant
products as food resources remained unchanged despite severe damage
to the trees, but the vegetation cover was reduced, which probably
increased the predation risk. The increase of mixed-species flocking
may have resulted from the increased risk of predation; mixed-species
flocking is thought to increase vigilance and foraging efficiency
while not increasing intraspecific competition. Changes in diet and
preferred foraging sites were also consistent with the increased
predation risk hypothesis. We conclude that the changes in foraging
and flocking behavior after the typhoon were mainly due to the
increased predation risk caused by the reduced vegetation cover.
Download
this article.
Key words Foraging site, Forest disturbance, Tit, Typhoon,
Winter flocking
Masashi MURAKAMI
Biodiversity Group, Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido
University, Sapporo, 060-0019, Japan
Abstract Temporal changes in the foraging habitat of four
forest bird species and the distribution pattern of arthropod
populations were investigated. The abundance and distribution of
arthropods changed drastically with the season within the forest.
Lepidoptera larvae were most abundant in the canopy in the first
three weeks after budbreak; their numbers decreased rapidly during
mid-June. In contrast, on the forest floor, the larvae were abundant
from early to late June. The foraging height of the Narcissus
Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina changed in parallel with the
distribution pattern of Lepidoptera larvae. Three other species, the
Great Tit Parus major, Marsh Tit P. palustris, and Eastern Crowned
Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus, however, did not change their
foraging heights; they continued to forage in the canopy. These
differences are probably due to the greater preference of the
flycatcher for Lepidoptera larvae compared with the other three
species. The three other species switched from feeding on Lepidoptera
larvae to spiders or other arthropods in mid June, when the number of
Lepidoptera larvae decreased in the canopy. The results of this study
suggest that the abundance and distribution of arthropods and
differences in foraging tactics among bird species considerably
affect avian foraging habitat. The foraging behavior of three species
of forest birds revealed species-specific responses to spatiotemporal
fluctuations in the distribution of resources.
Download
this article.
Key words Forest bird, Foraging tactics, Lepidoptera
larvae
Mizuki MIZUTANI and Naoki HIJII
Laboratory of Forest Protection, Graduate School of Bioagricultural
Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Abstract Feeding habits of Parus major and P. varius
inhabiting coniferous plantations of Cryptomeria japonica
and Larix kaempferi, each containing a small area of deciduous
broad-leaved trees, were analyzed in relation to the abundance and
size distribution of arthropods. In a C. japonica-dominated
(CJ) area, C. japonica trees were mainly used by P. major
only, while deciduous broad-leaved trees were used by both Parus
species. In a L. kaempferi-dominated (LK) area, both Parus
species used L. kaempferi trees and deciduous broad-leaved
trees. The composition of nestling diets differed between Parus
species. For prey size, the difference in the breadth was smaller and
the overlap was larger between areas than between species. These
results suggest that each Parus species preferred a specific size
class of prey. That is, the single-prey loader P. major preferred
large prey, whereas the multiple-prey loader P. varius preferred
small prey. The abundance and size distribution of arthropods greatly
differed among foraging microhabitats. Both Parus species selectively
used foraging microhabitats according to their prey-size
preference.
Download
this article.
Key words Diet selection, Foraging microhabitat, Nestling
diet, Parus major, Parus varius, Size preference
Teruaki HINO Akira UNNO and Shigeru NAKANO
Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0809,
Japan
Abstract We examined the abundance and distribution of prey in
four different height strata and eight tree species in a temperate
forest, and analyzed the influence on foraging preference by three
breeding tit (Parus) species. Densities of arthropod prey for tits in
canopy foliage varied with tree species but not with height. Most of
them were Lepidoptera larvae. Also, interspecific differences in
choice of foraging substrate were found between tree species but not
in height. These results demonstrate that tree species composition is
a more important habitat factor than foliage height profile for
coexistence of different tit species in forests. We examined four
different measures of prey abundance to find how tits chose tree
species. The largest species, the Great Tit P. major, preferred the
tree species with high total biomass, and the intermediate-sized
Willow Tit P. montanus preferred those with high density per leaf
area. Concentrated searching for prey on a few tree species with high
total biomass may be a useful strategy for inflexible perch-gleaners
such as P. major, and finer-scale searching on each leaf may be more
practical for agile foragers such as P. montanus which often
hang-glean to reach less accessible food. In spite of these
differences, both species gained benefits from choosing the tree
species on which they foraged most efficiently. In contrast, the
smallest species, the Coal Tit P. ater, frequently foraged on
food-poor tree species. Of the three tit species, P. ater was the
most generalized forager, using diverse techniques on a variety of
tree species and specializing at capturing small prey quickly. These
foraging patterns may make it possible for the smallest species to
coexist with the other tit species.
Download
this article.
Key words Foraging efficiency, Foraging technique,
Parus, Prey distribution, Tree species preference
Navjot S. SODHI
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore,
Blk S2, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of
Singapore
Abstract Southeast Asian forests are being lost at an alarming rate.
This unprecedented deforestation is resulting in avifauna losses.
Despite this, Southeast Asian avifauna remains poorly studied. A few
studies measured the food-supply and correlated it with the Southeast
Asian forest bird ecology. These correlative studies (qualitative as
well as quantitative) show that food-supply can affect the bird
diversity, abundance/density, breeding ecology, body condition,
ranging behaviour and/or flocking behaviour. However, there has been
no experimental study conducted to determine the effects of
food-supply on the forest bird ecology. In this geographic area,
exciting research avenues remain available to study the avian feeding
ecology and to explore a relationship between food-supply and forest
bird ecology. Descriptive, correlative as well as experimental data
on these aspects are required to enhance the knowledge of avian
ecology as well as for avian conservation purposes.
Download
this article.
Key words Bird ecology, Food-supply, Rainforest birds,
Southeast Asia, Tropics
Satoshi YAMAGISHI1, Shigeki
ASAI1, Kazuhiro EGUCHI2 and Masaru
WADA3
1 Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto
University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu
University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
3 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Medical and
Dental University, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0827, Japan
Abstract The Rufous Vanga Schetba rufa is endemic to
Madagascar and lives in one-female groups. During the 1994-1999
breeding seasons, a total of 294 nestlings were banded. Among these
nestlings, 51 stayed within the study area as spottedthroat
individuals. In the next breeding seasons, 35 of 45 spotted-throat
individuals were subsequently observed as black-throated males, and
once they became blackthroated males, these individuals never
reverted to the previous spotted-throat pattern. In contrast, 30
banded nestlings were recovered as yearling females with white
throats, and the femaleÅfs color pattern never changed
thereafter. All the spotted-throat males were helpers or floaters.
All the males of one group consisting of an adult male with a black
throat and two males with spotted throats were captured and
sacrificed humanely. The testes were dissected from each specimen and
were histologically examined. The testes of the spotted-throat males
contained only spermatogonia, and no spermatids or spermatozoa were
present. In contrast, the testes of the black-throated male were
well-developed and contained enlarged seminiferous tubules with
lumen, where numerous spermatozoa were evident. Considering these
facts, spotted-throat males of this species are assumed to be
sterile. We suggest that, due to their underdeveloped testes, the
spotted-throat males (one-year-old males) of the Rufous Vanga are
physically incapable of breeding.
Download
this article.
Key words Cooperative breeding, Delayed maturation,
Madagascar, Plumage, Schetba rufa
Hitoha E. AMANO1 and Kazuhiro
EGUCHI2
1 Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu
University, Ropponmatsu, Fukuoka 810-8560, Japan
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu
University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
Abstract The Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea has been introduced
from China and is rapidly increasing in deciduous broad-leaved
forests of Japan. We studied nestsite characteristics and nest-site
selection of this species and the Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia
diphone, a sympatric native species, in southwestern Japan. Both
species placed nests exclusively in bamboo thickets and on bamboo
stalks. The Red-billed Leiothrix built pendulous nests in the canopy
of high concealment. The Japanese Bush Warbler placed nests on the
crossing of bamboo stems and selected places of high stem density.
The Japanese Bush Warblers placed nests in denser vegetation than the
Red-billed Leiothrix. The segregation of nesting microhabitat was
also evident in both species to coexist in bamboo thickets. Existence
of few inhabitants in bamboo thickets may contribute to the invasion
success of the Red-billed Leiothrix.
Download
this article.
Key words Cettia diphone, Introduced birds,
Leiothrix lutea, Nest-site selection
Teruaki HINO
Kansai Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research
Institute, Kyoto 612-0855, Japan
Abstract: The breeding bird population of a deciduous
broadleaved forest in western Madagascar was censused by means of
territory mapping. Despite the foliage structure being simpler,
neither species richness nor density was less than those in mature
temperate forests. Species diversity was higher in the western
Madagascan forest owing to the higher species evenness. Tree-cavity
nesters and bark foragers were few because woodpeckers, nuthatches,
and tits have not colonized Madagascar. The scarcity of birds nesting
on or near the forest floor may be attributable to abundance of
nest-predators such as large lizards and snakes in these areas. The
bird community was dominated in abundance by the members of
mixed-species flocks, almost all of which forage in the canopy.
Mixed-flocking can be beneficial for these birds to avoid predation
by raptors, which were frequently observed in the canopy. Since most
of the flock members had relatively similar territory sizes resulting
in similar densities, the high species evenness in this community may
have resulted from mixed-flocking by canopy-foraging species.
Download
this article.
Key words Forest bird community, Madagascar, Mixed-species
flocks, Predators, Species evenness
Nobuhiko KOTAKA1 and Shigeru
MATSUOKA2
1 Laboratory of Animal Sociology, Faculty of Science, Osaka
City University, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
2Woodland Bioecology Group, Hokkaido Research Center,
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Sapporo 062-8516,
Japan
Abstract: Old nest cavities excavated by Great Spotted
Woodpeckers (GSW) Dendrocopos major were examined in two study areas
(urban and suburban forests) in Sapporo, the capital city of
Hokkaido, northern Japan. Five avian and one mammalian secondary
cavity user (SCU) species occupied 47 of 101 GSW cavities inspected.
The species composition differed between urban and suburban forests.
Avian SCU species occupied GSW cavities more frequently in the urban
than in the suburban forests. Tree Sparrows Passer montanus and
Chestnut-cheeked Starlings Sturnus philippensis were the only
dominant cavity breeding species in the severely fragmented urban
forests. Flying Squirrels Pteromys volans were the most dominant
users of GSW cavities in the suburban forests. The density of GSW
cavities depends not only on natural processes but also on human
activities. The suitability of the GSW cavities for certain SCU
species decreases with time. To maintain the diversity of
cavity-nesting wildlife in urban and suburban areas of Sapporo,
preservation of existing trees with GSW cavities as well as providing
suitable habitat conditions to support continued production of new
cavities is essential.
Download
this article.
Key words Dendrocopos major, Nest webs, Sapporo City,
Secondary cavity user, Urban area
Hitoha E. AMANO1 and Kazuhiro
EGUCHI2
1 Graduate School of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu
University, Ropponmatsu, Fukuoka 810-8560, Japan
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu
University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan
Abstract In Kyushu, southwestern Japan, the introduced
population of the Redbilled Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea has increased
rapidly and its range expanded considerably since early 1980s. In
order to clarify the influences of Red-billed Leiothrix on native
bird species, we examined the similarities and differences in
foraging patterns among species occurring in a deciduous broadleaved
forest on the Ebino Plateau, during the breeding seasons from 1997 to
2000. Leiothrix foraged in a lower vegetational layer with bamboo,
intermediate in height between the foraging levels of the Japanese
Bush Warbler Cettia diphone and various Parus species. Foraging
height, extent of foraging on deciduous trees and foraging technique
were major factors best distinguishing Leiothrix from native species.
Segregation of foraging niche was distinct and no apparent niche
shift, due to invasion of the new species, was detected. Aerial
insects tended to be more abundant just above bamboo, mainly about
one meter above the canopy, than above bare ground. Thus, jumping, a
specific technique used by Leiothrix, is effective for capturing
aerial insects or agile invertebrates resting on leaves and twigs.
Aerial insects were found to be abundant in the foraging space
preferred by Leiothrix. Gleaning and hanging, techniques mainly used
by native species, are suitable for capturing prey of low mobility
such as Lepidoptera larvae. Probably due to morphological
constraints, Parus spp. and Japanese Bush Warblers seldom foraged by
jumping, indicating that they exploit quite different food resources
from those utilized by Leiothrix despite their foraging spaces
overlapping to some extent. In the deciduous broadleaved forests of
Kyushu, an avian guild of foraging aerial insects in intermediate and
lower layers of the forests is poor. Such a community may be subject
to the successful invasion of the Red-billed Leiothrix into native
forests.
Download
this article.
Key words Ecological isolation, Foraging niche, Interspecific
competition, Introduced birds, Leiothrix lutea
Akira UNNO
Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589,
Japan
Abstract I examined the effects of arthropod abundance and of
bird foraging techniques on the tree species preferences of seven
insectivorous bird species in a temperate deciduous forest. It is
hypothesized that bird species with a wide range of foraging
techniques respond more flexibly to the spatial distribution and
seasonal change of prey than those with specialized foraging
techniques. This hypothesis was supported by the fact that tits, bird
species with a wide range of foraging techniques, changed their
techniques when foraging in tree species with different foliage
structures. They also used various tree species in late summer when
food requirements increased owing to the addition of nestlings and
fledglings. Bird species with a narrow range of foraging techniques,
such as flycatchers and white-eyes, did not change their techniques
among tree species and had strong tree species preferences in all
research periods.
Download
this article.
Key words Foliage structure, Prey abundance, Tree species
preference, Variety of foraging technique
[Short
Communications (Download each article) ]
Kawakami K & Higuchi H
Bird
predation by domestic cats on Hahajima Island, Bonin Islands,
Japan.
Tojo H, Nakamura S & Higuchi H
Gape
patches in Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus
nestlings.
Brazil M
Common
Raven Corvus corax at play; records from
Japan.
Kawakami K & Higuchi H
The
first record of cavity nesting in the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater
Apalopteron familiare on Hahajima, Bonin Islands, Japan.
Yamasaki T
Seasonal
variation of plumage color in Japanese Light-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus sinensis orii in the Yaeyama Group, Southern
Ryukyus. .
Ito S
Foraging
areas of Short-tailed Shearwaters during their northward migration
along the Pacific coast of northern Japan.
Chochi M, Niizuma Y & Takagi M
Sexual
differences in the external measurements of Black-tailed Gulls
breeding on Rishiri Island, Japan.
Chiba A, Murata K, Mizuno S, Honma R & Sugimori F
External
features and molecular sexing of the anomalous Pintail, Anas
acuta, found at Hyo-ko Waterfowl Park, Niigata Prefecture,
Japan.